


Not-Girlfriend

by thewriteday



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F, Mostly charity being a dick and then some fluff, but this is my brain's version, obviously this won't happen this way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 21:54:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13749969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewriteday/pseuds/thewriteday
Summary: My version of what's going to happen Thursday (when Charity gets jealous at the bar). Maybe I'll be psychic! Probs not. But this was fun to write anyway.





	Not-Girlfriend

It’s cold outside and she’s bitter about it. How dare Vanessa make her wander out, in the cold, and stake her out in some divey gay bar? It’s horrendous.

She’s dressed up in whatever she could get a hold of – a combination of hers and Debbie’s closets (without Deb’s knowledge, obvs) and it’s all a bit too tight and not warm whatsoever. She approaches the doorman, a burly thing with a face like a brick.

“You’ll have to wait in line.”

“Yeah, well I'll have to disagree. See, I’ve seen you let in at least four young ladies who I _know_ are not of age. Carded them myself at my own establishment. Would you prefer I walk on in and don’t tell anyone, or that I leave here, call the police, and your place of work goes out of business?”

And brick-face doesn’t have much to say to that except to awkwardly step aside and let her in. She doesn’t bother saying thanks. Besides, she's not going to wait for him to realize she hasn't seen anything of the sort. 

The music is so loud it’s practically nauseating; the bass is a pulsing roar against her eardrums. But at least she’s not freezing anymore. In fact, the wall of heat from the swaying crowd in front of her induces a near-instant layer of sweat to her skin. She grimaces at the tacky red lights.

She spots Robert first, across the room, enjoying the company of a few lads too young for him as he glances across the dancefloor – Charity’s eyes follow his gaze – at Aaron. She rolls her eyes. _But of course_ they’ve stumbled upon each other here as well. Chas had been harping on about Robert as Charity was gearing up to leave and she’ll be fuming when she finds out they’re making eyes (or whatever else) at each other all evening.

Whatever, not her problem. She’s here for one blonde and one blonde only and she’s eager to find out just where the little keener is hiding.

She approaches Robert from behind and pokes him hard in the shoulder. “Oy, where’s Vanessa?”

Robert spins around a little unsteadily, clearly suffering the early effects of the whisky sour in his hand. “Charity? What are you doing here?”

Charity levels a look at him that, if it’s done its job, should tell him he’s the stupidest person in the whole damn world. “Because I’m here to lead the big drunk gay parade!”

There’s a dawning on his face and then he smirks. His cockiness is unbearable.

“You’re here to bother your girlfriend.”

“She’s not–” Charity starts and then thinks better of it as Robert’s smile widens impossibly. “Never mind. Could you just tell me where she is already and I’ll let you get back to trying to make Aaron jealous? I might even be persuaded to _not_ tell Chas if you’re quick about it.” _There we go_. His stupid smile’s gone now. Honestly, Charity doesn’t really care what the two of them get up to, only Robert can be _so_ incorrigible when he thinks he has one up.

He gulps. “She’s over by the bar telling anyone who will listen about you.”

Charity frowns at that – telling anyone what? Robert shrugs and points over at the long, red bar, where Charity can just barely see a familiar blonde head bobbing to the music. And next to that little blonde head is a big red-headed melon that is soon going to get better acquainted with the floor if Charity has anything to say about it.

She just about struts over. Because if Vanessa gets to put herself on display (and then apparently trash talk Charity to strangers) then Charity can do it too. Maybe she’s on the wrong side of 40, but she’s still got a lot worth looking at, after all. She swings her hips on approach and catches the eye of a tall woman with short black hair and winks as she passes. But her attention soon turns back to Vanessa. First things first.

As she nears, she can hear Vanessa basically yelling to be heard over the music (a bit louder than is necessary, really) and she thinks she hears her name. Another step and she’s _sure_ she hears it. She stops in her tracks.

“But that’s Charity for you. Disappears from the country without so much as a ta-ta.” Charity watches Vanessa sag against the bar.

“Sounds like she’s not worth the trouble.” The redhead chimes in. Her eyes are predatory and focused on Vanessa’s mouth. Charity can feel her blood bubbling but doesn't intervene. She wants to see what’s happening for herself first.

Vanessa’s back is to Charity and she is clearly focused on the bottles lined up against the bar back rather than the red-headed dolt beside her. Small blessings. “It’s not much trouble, really. I mean she _was_. But I kind of like that about her. Can’t tell _her_ that, though, she’ll never let up.”

Charity’s cheeks feel hot.

Vanessa keeps gabbing. “Besides, she’s just lovely, really. I mean, she knows it. But she also doesn’t, you know?” Vanessa turns to the redhead only slightly before trying to chase the straw in her drink. She finally catches it and takes a sip. Charity smirks a bit, still unseen.

“I thought you said this woman is _not_ your girlfriend.” The redhead says, losing interest fast and obviously a little peeved at having spent this long on someone so swoony.

Vanessa shakes her head, showing a bit of the same drunk wavering that Robert was. “No! I said she was my _not-girlfriend_. It’s different. We’re like, together, but not, you know, _together._ ” As she says the last, Vanessa’s shoulders tense up.

Charity saunters forward and leans her head between the two women, forcing the redhead to slide back off her barstool. Charity makes sure they can both hear her. “This your idea of a fun night out, babe? Telling tall tales about me? I’m flattered.”

Vanessa jumps a little and her eyes go wide.

“I was just –” The redhead starts, looking like she’s been caught dead to rights.

“Yeah, you can trot on now, love. This seat’s well taken.” Charity flashes her a tight smile before settling onto the barstool only recently vacated. The redhead does as she’s told, scampering off into the dancing crowd behind them.

Charity faces Vanessa, who is now glaring at her. “What? Should I not have sent away your little date? Did you a favour; she was getting bored, babe. Could tell from a mile away.”

Vanessa looks incredulous. “What are you doing here?”

Charity raises her eyebrows. “Well you’re the one who sent me the cheeky selfie. Seemed like an invitation, didn’t it?” 

“I thought you were working.” Vanessa’s brow is furrowed, as if she’s analyzing puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit together no matter how she arranges them.

“I was. Had Chas cover.” Charity says flippantly, as if nothing could be more obvious.

“So you got Chas to cover the bar, which means you’ll probably have to work double tomorrow, just so you could come down here and what, stake your claim?”

Charity doesn’t like that insinuation one bit. She’s making it seem like she’s some jealous git here to punch a few chins. Well, maybe she would have if the redhead hadn’t pushed off so easily, but that’s not the point. “ _You’re_ the one who sent me a picture of yourself in a sea of eligible women. Maybe I wanted to see for myself if I could hook a few fish.”

Vanessa’s face is stony. She seems to have sobered up at that. She extends her arm to the crowd behind them. “Go ahead then, Charity. Happy hunting.” Vanessa returns her attention to her drink, which she plucks the straw out of before drinking the rest in one go. She leaves it on the bar as she slides off her stool a little unsteadily.

“Where you going?” Charity says. Vanessa doesn’t answer her, just slings her coat and purse over her shoulder and heads for the nearest exit.

Charity just blinks for a moment. How can this tiny, maddening woman be doing this to her? Charity picks up Vanessa’s scarf, which fell from her coat as she marched away, and follows out the exit.

“Ness!” Charity calls after her, hastening her steps to catch up. When Vanessa turns to look at her, her expression is positively dripping with disdain. There's an uncomfortable pang in Charity's gut. “You dropped this.” Charity says feebly, offering the scarf.

Vanessa takes it and throws it around her neck. She waits for a moment, then says, “Is that all?" And something about the way she says it, just throwing it out there like she expects nothing back, it tips the whole house over.

“No, it isn’t all! You’re right, okay? I wanted to come here and push a few of your admirers around if I had to. I expected to find you slobbering all over some 20-year-old but you weren’t.” Charity folds her arms across her chest, trying to retain some of its former warmth.

“No. I wasn’t. Would you have preferred I was?” Vanessa says, her head tilting a little to the right.

Charity rolls her eyes this time. Does she have to spell out every tiny, miniscule detail for her? Can’t she just get it by now without Charity having to say it? “Course not! Isn’t it obvious? I don’t _want_ you looking for someone else, I don’t _want_ you to want anyone else. I just want you to want me.”

Vanessa scoffs loudly. “I already do! Wasn’t _that_ obvious when you walked in on me blathering on about you to some stranger?”

Charity looks at her feet and shuffles back and forth. She has a point.

Vanessa waits for an answer that doesn’t come. “I was just out tonight to help Robert get back out there. I wasn’t looking for myself. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Charity stays quiet, still avoiding Vanessa’s eyes. Vanessa takes a few steps closer and reaches her hand up to Charity’s cheek. Charity melts a little at the touch – which she chastises herself for. She just can’t help the stupid, silly, rather frustrating effect Vanessa has on her. She finally looks into Vanessa’s eyes and finds that her whole face has taken on a glow that makes Charity feel less cold. She really looks beautiful tonight. Maybe that was part of the problem – Vanessa out on the town looking good enough to eat. And no Charity around to dig in.

Vanessa speaks close and quiet. “You’re about all I can manage at the moment. You keep me on my toes plenty. So unless you’re going somewhere–”

“I’m not.” Charity says instantly, before her brain has a chance to stop her. Her mouth snaps shut, but now that it’s out there, it’s out there. Part of her is glad for it. She really is intrigued by this whole thing with Vanessa, even if she’s freaked out about where it’s going (or maybe, where it isn’t).

“Good, then.” Vanessa says, leaning up to kiss Charity, letting her fingers slide in to Charity’s hair, doing lovely things to her scalp. Charity lets slip a sound that’s between a sigh and a moan and can feel Vanessa smile into her lips.

Before they can get very far, a door swings open behind them. They both stop to get a look at who’s interrupting them only to watch Aaron and Robert stumbling out of the building, snogging each other’s’ faces off, oblivious to the world.

Vanessa responds first. “Well colour me unsurprised.” That makes the two men jump away from each other like feet from hot coals, scrambling to resemble a couple of nonchalant blokes looking for some fresh air in the alley.

But when Robert catches sight of Charity and Vanessa standing so closely in that self-same alley, he gets another of those sanctimonious smirks on.

“Sorry, is this spot taken?” Robert chides.

“Oh come off it, Robert. Or I really will tell Chas about the two of you. And she’d much rather hear it from him than me.” Charity stabs a finger towards Aaron – who reacts physically, as if she’d actually prodded him. “Or not at all, actually. But you better sort out whatever the two of you are doing before she finds out one of the worse ways.”

Robert’s serious again and Aaron just looks embarrassed. Charity can’t help herself: “A little thanks goes a long way!”

“Thanks, Charity.” Robert mumbles, before turning back towards the door and heading inside. Aaron chances a little look at her face, which she hopes is abrasive enough to knock some sense into him, and then he follows the way Robert went.

Alone again, Charity returns her attention to Vanessa. “Now, how about you and I get away from whatever _that_ is and get back to proper business somewhere a little more comfortable. And warm.”

Vanessa beams up at her. “Only if you tell me more about how jealous you were.”

Charity slings an arm around Vanessa’s shoulders as they head off towards the street.

“Never mind me. _You’re_ the one that's trouble.”


End file.
